Measuring valve for use with collapsible tubes



March 1, 1938. A. IBLANCHARIID MEASURING VALVE FOR USE WITH COLLAPSIBLETUBES Filed March 27. 1936 ANDRE BLANGHA R D INVENTOR by file affor'neysPatented Mar. 1, 1938 PATENT OFFICE MEASURING VALVE FOR USE WITH COL-LAPSIBLE TUBES Andr Blanchard, La

Bastide, France, assignor to Socit Anonyme Etablissements Betts etBlanchard, La

Bastide, corporation of France Bordeaux, France, a

Application March 27, 1936, Serial No. 71,208 In France November 13,1935 11 Claims.

This invention relates to measuring valves for collapsible tubes and hasfor its principal object to provide an improved measuring valve for usewith these tubes.

The present invention consists in the provision of a, measuring valvefor use with collapsible tubes wherein the automatic advancement of thevalve under the influence of the pressure exerted on the. tube ensuresthe closure at the desired moment of the evacuating orifice or orifices.

A convenientform of the invention will hereinafter be described,together with a modification thereof, which is given only by way ofexample; with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows in axial longitudinal section one form of the inventioncomprising a valve and cap in a tube nozzle;

Fig. 2 is an axial longitudinal section View through the valve alone;

Fig. 3. is anaxial longitudinal section through the cap alone;

Fig. ii is an axial longitudinal section of another form of theinvention.

Hitherto collapsible tubes generally have been closed by ascrew-threaded stopper. the material contained in the tube beingexpelled by simple pressure on the tube after the stopper has beenunscrewed. Under these conditions, an indefinite quantity ofmaterial'was expelled at each pressure, any prolonged pressure causingthe contents of the tube to be expelled without stopping.

The invention has several advantages. On

the one hand, from a constructional point of View, tubes having a smoothnozzle are easy to manufacture and it is also easier to put thescrew-thread on the valve than on the tube. The thread is the only partwhich is delicate to manufacture. It has, moreover, the advantage incertain lead tubes plated with tin that the lead is not exposed whenmaking the screw-thread. Another advantage lies in the fact that theplacing in position of the cap eifects the closing of the valve, so thatwhen the cap is unscrewed the valve is still closed and can only beopened by manipulation by the user. Therefore there is no danger, asthere is frequently with tubes hitherto in use, of the material beingexpelled from the tube when the cap is unscrewed.

From the arangement shown in Figures 1 to 3, it will be seen that thereis a smooth nozzle 2 of a collapsible tube l, a valve with a tubularstem 4 of which the flat part 5 is adapted to be applied to the internalupper surface of the tube I. Perforations 1 put into communication thehole 6 in the tubular stem with the interior of the tube when the valveis open. This tubular stem is guided in any suitable manner in thenozzle 2, in such a the nozzle and is only permitted a longitudinalmovement. The guide in question may be constituted for example by alongitudinal grooving or milling provided on a slightly thickened partof the stem of the valve. This grooving or milling wears a passage inthe lead of the nozzle suflicient to ensure guidance. The plate of thevalve may be provided with a groove II, which permits the maintenance ofthe valve in position, by means of an appropriate tool correctlycentered at the time of its first being placed in position.

At its upper part the tubular stem '4 of the valve has a screw-thread 12adapted to pass into the nozzle 2. This screw-thread I2 is adapted toco-operate with an internal screw-thread l3 of the cap 3. This cap alsohas a conical portion I l adapted to co-operate with the exteriorconicity of the nozzle 2. Tightness of the 010- sure is ensured on theone hand by the disc l5 of. cork or other similar material lodged in thecap and supported on the edge of the tubular stem 4 and on the otherhanduby the co-operation of the conical portions M of the cap with the.external conicity of the nozzle 2, and finally, in addition, by the.bearing of the upper part of the fiat part 5 against the interior of theupper part of the tube, this hearing being ensured by the pressure ofthe cap 3 which is supported on the nozzle 2. i

The operation of the device is as follows:

The cap is unscrewed and the tubular stem is thrust back toward theinterior of the tube, for example by pressing the surface against anobject, and pressure is applied to the tube. A predetermined quantity ofthe material will come out which corresponds to the stroke of the valvenecessary for the perforations 3 to be reclosed. At the same time thescrew-thread is re-projected outside the nozzle.

The method of construction of Figure 4 is very similar, but the cap 3*is much smaller and simply bears on the edge of the nozzle 2, withouthaving the supplementary closure assured in Figure 1 by conicity of thenozzle 2.

The operation is the same as in the preceding case. The fiat part of thevalve and the holes may, of course, be of any shape and size. The valveand its stem may be made of any suitable way that it cannot turn inmaterial, for example, material known under the registered trade-mark asbakelite, or the like.

It will of course be understood that it is possible to regulate thequantity of material evacuated by modifying the evacuating orifices orby the effect on the speed of advancement of the valve. This speed isgoverned by varying the cross-section of the outlet nozzle and bymodifying the surface of the head of the valve, or by one or the otherof these two means.

What I claim is:-

1. A collapsible tube having a nozzle, a valve slidable in said nozzleand having a stem projecting from said nozzle, screw threads on saidstem, means afiording a passage for extrusion of the tube contents whensaid valve is pressed inwardly, and a cap which, when screwed on saidstem prevents extrusion of the tube contents.

2. A collapsible tube having a nozzle which is smooth both internallyand externally, a valve slidable in said nozzle and having a stemprojecting from said nozzle, screw threads on said stem, means affordinga passage for extrusion of the tube contents when said valve is pressedinwardly, and a cap which, when screwed on said stem prevents extrusionof the tube contents.

3. A collapsible tube having a nozzle, a valve slidable in said nozzleand having a stem projecting from said nozzle, said valve having apassage therethrough, screw threads on said stem, and a cap adapted tobe screwed on said stem to engage said nozzle and prevent extrusion ofthe tube contents.

4. A collapsible tube having a nozzle which is smooth internally andexternally, a valve slidable in said nozzle and having a stem projectingfrom said nozzle, said valve having a passage therethrough, screwthreads on said stem, a cap adapted to be screwed on said stem andhaving a conical skirt adapted to engage with the exterior of saidnozzle to prevent extrusionof the tube contents.

5. A collapsible tube having a nozzle which is smooth internally andexternally, a valve slidable in said nozzle and having a screw threadedstem with a screw-threaded end projecting from said nozzle, said valvewhen pressed inwardly permittingextrusion of the tube contents, and whenpressed outwardly preventing such extrusion, and a cap which whenscrewed on said stem holds said valve in the latter position, and saidcap itself engaging with said nozzle to prevent extrusion of the tubecontents.

, 6. A collapsible tube having a nozzle, a valve slidable in said nozzleand having a stem projeoting from said nozzle, screw threads on saidstem, and a cap adaptedto be screwed on said stem and guiding means onthe valve preventing rotation of said valve within said nozzle.'

7. A collapsible tube having a nozzle, a valve slidable in said nozzleand having a stem projecting from said nozzle, said valve having anaxial bore and a plurality of radial bores leading to said axial borefrom the interior of the tube, a cap adapted to be screwed on said stemand to close said valve and said tube.

8. A collapsible tube having a nozzle, a valve slidable in said nozzleand having a screw threaded stem projecting from said nozzle, meansaffording a passage for extrusion of the tube contents when said valveis pressed inwardly, said valve moving outwardly to close said passageby pressure of the tube contents, and a cap which, when screwed on saidstem, prevents extrusion of the tube contents.

,9.,A collapsible tube having a nozzle, a valve member having an axialpassage and being slidable in said nozzle and having a screw-threadedstem projecting from said nozzle, the inner end of said valve memberbeingclosed and having a flange, said valve member being provided withat least one radial passage into said axial passage near said endwhereby the tube contents may'pass out of the other end of said valvemember.

10. A collapsible tube having a nozzle, a valve member having an axialpassage and being slidable in said nozzle and having a screw-threadedstem projecting from said nozzle, the inner end of said valve memberbeing closed and having a flange, said valve member being provided withat least one radial passage into said axial passage near said endwhereby the tube contents may pass out of the other end of said valvemember, said valve member being pressed outwardly of said nozzle by thetube contents to interrupt extrusion of said contents when apredetermined amount of said contents has been extruded.

11. A collapsible tube having a nozzle, a valve member having an axialpassage and being slidable in said nozzle and having a screw-threadedstem projecting from said nozzle, the inner end of said valve memberbeing closed and having a flange, said valve member being provided withat least one radial passage into said axial passage near said endwhereby the tube contents may pass out of the other end of said valvemember and a capwhich, when screwed on said stem, prevents extrusion ofthe tube contents.

A. BLANCI-IARD.

